We offer many services that other dental clinics don’t, and we also avoid services and products that are still commonplace in many dental clinics. For example, we provide:
- Biocompatibility testing
- Non-mercury fillings and non-metal dental implants
- Mercury filling removal and replacement
- Laser dentistry
We avoid any dental product or service that is dangerously non-biocompatible for a given individual – which is where biocompatible testing comes into play.
This all depends on whether or not a holistic dentist can be found in your provider directory. Holistic dentists won’t be listed as such – they will simply be listed as “dentists” because they are simply general dentists who provide services based on a certain philosophy – that dental health is connected to one’s overall health. In this sense, there is no reason holistic dental work cannot be covered by insurance on principle.
The answer to this is really very simple: mercury is a toxic heavy metal. It is a neurotoxin and has been shown to be harmful to humans even in low doses. Mercury can damage the brain, nervous system, kidneys, and cause harm to unborn children. It can also lead to a number of mental/emotional problems including:
- Brain fog / difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Anxiety and depression
- Insomnia
- Mood swings
If you have an amalgam filling – deceptively called a “silver” filling – it releases small amounts of mercury vapor every time you eat, chew gum, clench and grind your teeth, brush, and floss. These fillings also expand and contract with temperature changes which further produces mercury vapor.
The expansion and contraction of these fillings also creates microfractures in the tooth, only further damaging them over time.
While many US dental clinics still offer amalgam fillings, they’ve been effectively banned in the UK as well as in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden for all of these reasons.
We avoid mercury fillings in favor of resin-based fillings at our Idaho Falls dental clinic.
Materials such as glass composite resins and chemically bonded materials can all be used as replacements for metal. Not only are these materials far more biocompatible for the human body, they also look and feel just like natural tooth material.
We offer local anesthetic as well as sedation to help you relax and make your dental appointment as comfortable as possible. We can even provide you a small pill that you can take right at our Idaho Falls dental clinic that will help you relax throughout your entire appointment. We also offer IV conscious sedation.
For optimal dental health, it’s good to see a dentist regularly for an exam and cleaning. What do we mean by regularly? According to the ADA, you should get a dental exam every six months.
There are of course other times when you should get an appointment at an Idaho Falls dental clinic. If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, it’s time to make some calls.
- Chronic bad breath
- Either pain or numbness in a tooth
- Pain in the gums when you brush or chew
- Gums that bleed excessively
- Gums that are beginning to change in color or recede from the teeth
- Chronic headaches or jaw pain
It’s common to not feel much pain, or any at all, in the early stage of gum disease (gingivitis). It is often not clearly noticeable by people who are in this early stage, beyond some excessive bleeding when brushing, which many people write off as the result of a hard or old toothbrush. It often takes a professional examination by an Idaho Falls dentist to determine whether someone is in the early stages of gum disease.
Even then, some people don’t experience much pain even in more advanced stages. However, this doesn’t mean it isn’t a serious problem. Gum disease can create many dental issues – including tooth loss – as well as other health problems.
Very. It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t have at least a little anxiety before a dental appointment. The teeth are highly sensitive parts of the body, after all, and most people fear pain that can occur during a dental procedure even with local anesthesia and sedation.
There are also more rare causes of anxiety preceding a dental appointment, like the fear of losing control (not being able to speak well or move around too much) or the fear of being overwhelmed by all of the strange sounds, smells, or other factors that are simply uncommon outside of a dentist’s office.
There’s no reason to feel ashamed about any of this. Talk with your Idaho Falls dentist about these concerns – they can provide ways to calm your nerves and get you through your appointment as comfortably as possible.
Your first appointment will likely be diagnostic in nature. After reviewing your health history, we’ll want to get a good idea of your oral hygiene habits, as well as listen to any concerns you may have and answer any questions.
After a thorough examination, we can determine what procedure(s) you’ll need. We can also do biocompatibility testing to ensure the most appropriate treatment/procedure.
Some procedures such as fillings or extractions can be done in a single visit. More complex or personalized procedures like dental implants or an appointment for dentures will take a number of visits at our Idaho Falls dental clinic.
Any relevant medical history, as well as x-rays or dental study models of your teeth that have happened within the past two years. Any related medical records you bring can be useful. Just keep in mind, we typically need to perform our own diagnostic tests as well.
Yes, we love working with children and know how to keep them calm and relaxed during their exams. Parents are of course welcome to accompany them throughout their entire appointment.
The ADA recommends children see a dentist at their first year of age. There are a number of reasons for this. Showing your child there is nothing to be afraid of at the dentist’s office at an early age can set the mood/expectations for their appointments as they grow up. It also allows for early detection of possible dental problems, which can be solved better if they’re discovered sooner.
There are of course the obvious connections between sugar, caffeine and nicotine, alcohol, and other substances that can cause tooth decay, but these days there are many minerals that the teeth need that are simply missing from our modern diet of refined foods.
In order to be healthy, your teeth need:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Phosphorus
And other minerals that you aren’t going to get in white flour, rice, etc.
Sugar negatively affects the teeth by feeding bacteria in the mouth that cause plaque. Many modern beverages – energy drinks and soda – can damage tooth enamel, and the phosphoric acid in these drinks can also bind/remove zinc, magnesium, and calcium from the body.
Holistic dentists recognize the connection between the health of the teeth/gums and the health of the entire body. One area can affect the other either positively or negatively.
While there are many Idaho Falls dental clinics that offer what can be called organic dental services, they themselves might not officially go by that title.
The reason conventional dentistry is adopting more biocompatible practices is because they are simply better, more effective, and more healthful.
Holistic dentistry seeks a balanced approach to dentistry that takes nutrition, lifestyle, and of course, the biocompatibility of its products and services into account.
This is why biocompatible testing is a big part of what we offer – while certain dental products can work for some people, they can cause negative reactions in others.
We take your specific physical condition into account when treating you, seeking to improve not just the health of your teeth and gums, but your entire body as a whole.
Yes, Dr. Baker does practice biomimetic dentistry. Biomimetic dentistry is a branch of dentistry that uses restorative treatments for maintenance and save natural teeth.
